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Company Profile

Dunkin Brand Group is an American brand, which operates two quick service restaurants that are Dunkin Donut and Baskin-Robbins brands. The company manages franchising, licensing, and development of restaurants across the globe. Currently, the company operates in four broad segments, Dunkin Donut US, Dunkin Donut International, Baskin-Robbins International and Baskin Robin US. In 2014, the Dunkin Brand Group reported having more than 11,310 Dunkin Donut stores and 7,552 Baskin Robin’s stores, including franchised stores worldwide (Annual Report: Dunkin Donut, 2014).

The Dunkin Brand Group was established by Pernod Richard and is currently headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts. Dunkin Brand Group is ranked among the most preferred brands of United States (Annual Report: Dunkin Donut, 2014). Dunkin Brand Group has shown significant grew in the past years due to its franchising model and low pricing. However, the growing awareness of social responsibilities in the corporate sector has persuaded business entities to design and structure its business activities ethically. In other words, it is explained that the company’s policies and activities should be morally aligned with moral and ethical values.

Mission and Critique

Dunkin Brand is committed to engaging and improve overall performance and strives to be responsible for serving its guests, customers, employees, communities, franchise, environment, and business partners. The company’s mission is to be an innovative, thrill its customers, enrich stakeholders and to build the powerful brand (Annual Report: Dunkin Donut, 2014). It is highlighted that the company is engaged in improving overall performance measured by anticipating needs of its customers and global society. The company is inclined to improve its results by bringing innovative experience for its clients to build brand image.

External stakeholder groups

According to the Stakeholder’s Theory, outside stakeholder groups of the company include suppliers, society, government, creditors, shareholders and customers. Dunkin Brand is always inclined to engage to broaden the range of stakeholders to attain sustainable success. The company is focused on performing its activities by ethical and moral values by regularly communicating to ensure transparency in its business activities.

By Corporate Social Responsibility Report (2014) of Dunkin Group, it can be noted that the currently, the outside stakeholders of the company includes, Our Guests (customers), Our Planet (environment), Government and Our Neighborhood (community). However, no specific program to address the needs of suppliers and creditors (Dunkin Brand Group: CSR Report, 2014). The company is working collectively with its franchise partners to improve its activities and broaden its corporate social responsibility’s vision. The company is aligned to ensure that each of the business of the company is aligned with moral and ethical values to address the need of global society.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a self- regulatory mechanism in which a business works for the benefit of the community. Every organization has a moral responsibility to work for the betterment of others, and they create policies to serve others and the environment. Dunkin Brand has also actively participated in adopting social responsibility and is committed towards the sustainability of the planet. Social responsibility efforts made by Dunking’ brand is also for the interest and needs of the employees and guests. Dunkin’ Brands publish their CSR report, which outlines their policies and evaluates the results of the previous policies.
Dunkin brand is focused more towards the sustainability of packaging of products, nutrition, product sourcing, building and the local area (Chasan, 2014).

From the corporate social responsibility report of Dunkin’ Donuts, it is observed that the brand has launched DD Green Achievement program in which the franchises of Dunkin’ Donuts will build sustainable and energy efficient restaurants. The company plans to build 100 new franchises of DD Green Achievement by 2016. The reporting of this project will be done in 2016, and the report is also expected to include the reduction target, baselines for energy and usage of water. All these things will be explicitly mentioned in the report and the achievements that have in made in that period will also be disclosed in the report.

The company also plans to source palm oil that is 100 % sustainable. Dunkin’ Brand intends to work along with its suppliers for 100 % mill traceable palm oil by the end of 2015. Deforestation, durable paper, and pulp policy are also some of the commitments of this brand which they plan to implement by 2016. As a role of their social responsibility the Dunkin’ brand purchases certified products from official suppliers. Since 2004, a brand has launched 100 % Fairtrade Certified Espresso and last year it has launched 30 % Rainforest Alliance Certified Dark Roast Coffee. These acts of the company identify the commitment of the company towards providing its customers with certified products (Annual Report: Dunkin Donut, 2014).

As a part of the company’s social responsibility, Dunkin’ Brand plans to examine all the commercially available cups in the market so that they can find an alternative to the foam made cups. The company is currently testing double-walled paper cups to replace with the foam cups. The company is also testing # 5 recyclable polypropylene container in the market.

The company is not only directed towards its products and services but also cares for the neighborhood. Dunkin Donuts passionately helps people in the community one at a time. In The United States, from 2011 to 2014, it is reported that the franchisees of the company have donated more than $ 20 million to the now- profit groups. The company along with Baskin-Robbins has formed a community called Dunkin’ Donut & Baskin- Robin Community Foundation (DDBRCF) which raised an amount of $3.2 million in 2014.

Dunkin Donut is also viewing its menu as they are planning to provide healthy and nutritious foods to its guests. The company wants to maintain its great taste of food and beverages and also add dietary needs which are better for the consumers (Baker & Anderson, 2010). The company plans for a DDSMART menu for its customers which will include the proper amount of calorie, sugar, sodium and saturated fat thresholds. The company plans to reduce its content of sugar to a greater extent by 2017.

The company is inclined to develop healthy and productive communication with its suppliers to develop a sustainable relation. However, there are no particular plans or programs for the company to participate or support agriculture or cultivation of most used commodities, like coffee, cocoa, dairy, etc.

External environment

The growing competition, vibrant marketplaces and increasing consumer needs have persuaded business entities to address the needs of global society. The expanding complexity of the market environment has grown accountability for the business organization to be transparent, including ingredients, reporting and foods (Dunkin Brand Group: CSR Report, 2014). Besides, the increasing complexities to expand CSR activities and programs, in different countries by anticipating climatic change, such as global warming and greenhouse emission. The Dunkin Brand Group is taking steps to overcome these challenges to develop stronger and sustainable relationship with its stakeholders.

One of the major global challenges, includes deforestation, global warming, and other pollutions. Therefore, the companies are inclined to make use of advanced technologies and equipment to improve performance. The Dunkin Brand Group is a member of Ceres, which is a non-profit organization. The company is focused on improving and expanding its operations by adopting sustainable practices. For its key ingredients, such as cocoa, coffee, dairy, and palm oil, it has developed sustainable sourcing strategies.

The corporate organization is also responsible for participating in environmental issues and projects. Dunkin Brand group is working with the World Wildlife Fund to attain new welfare goals of United States 2014, as well as it is also working with Environmental Defense Funds (EDF) that is regularly engaged in developing strategies and opportunity for efficient and effective energy management facilities.

The additional, healthy product line is important because of increasing obesity and other health risk associated with high-calorie intake. Despite, Dunkin Group aimed to reduce the Greenhouse gas emission by using energy efficient equipment and lightening in the restaurant.

Moreover, the Dunking Brand Group is also inclined to ensure that each of the ingredients it uses is healthy and safe for its customers. It includes the use of gluten-free donuts, minimum use of BR flavor and month flavors, and reduces sodium use in its product. However, the restaurants operating under the group have not yet introduced the health; low fat and low calories product range its restaurants.

Internal Analysis

The organizations should ensure to develop flexible working environment, culture and conditions to ensure effective engagement of employee. The performance of employees significantly impacts team’s performance and brand image. Hence, it is important for the team to develop its working environment to keeps employees motivated.

It is important for the team develops strong relationship with the organization by building a strategic relationship, education, training and development, health and safety concerns, communicating, healthy work environment and culture.

Dunkin Brand Group is inclined to overcome the issues of diversity in its workplace by promoting equal racial, ethical and gender role and rights. Dunkin Brand Group is inclined to value and respect each of its employees (Dunkin Brand Group: CSR Report, 2014). The group regularly revise its code of business conduct and ethics by providing training, diversity and inclusion policy.

Currently, the company has developed a relationship with some professional organizations, such as Association of Latino Professionals of America, Women Food service Forum, Multicultural Food service and Hospitality Alliance, United Service Organization and NAACP. Dunkin brand group is focused on looking ahead for health and wellness of its employees, by providing some benefit plans for its employees.